vial
/ˈvʌɪəl
/noun
A small container, typically cylindrical and made of glass, used especially for holding liquid medicines.Ritter picked up a box off the counter containing three small vials of different colored liquids....
- Scully walks up to the table and places upon it a glass vial containing a honeybee that almost cost the agent her life.
- Both were kept in clear glass vials, which were identical in size and shape.
Origin
Middle English: alteration of phial.
phial from Middle English:
The word phial is from Old French fiole, via Latin from Greek phialē which described a broad flat container, rather than our small, cylindrical container. Vial is simply a re-spelling of the same word.